Tenants of Holden Green Vote Against Relocation Draft Plan

About 70 residents of Holden Green, one of Harvard's five married housing dormitories, voted overwhelmingly last night to reject a draft plan for relocation proposed last week by the Real Estate Department.

A majority of the residents attending said they would be willing to fight the University if it tried to implement its relocation plans over their objections.

Most said they would stay in their apartments past the June 15 deadline for relocation indicated in the draft plan.

The plan calls for the residents of Holden Green, about 100 families, to be relocated to either the new Soldiers Field Housing complex or Peabody Terrace while the University renovates the 50-year-old apartments.

Luxury Housing

The residents passed a resolution asking the University to completely halt the present renovation plan, which they claim has no tenant input and is aimed at luxury housing for which they believe there will be no married student market.

Most tenants said they are against the plan because major renovations seem both unnecessary and too expensive.

They said they fear rents would skyrocket after the renovations were completed.

Some tenants with children also registered their objections to moving to Soldiers Field because that switch would involve changing from the Cambridge to the Boston school system.

John McMahon, secretary of the Married Housing Tenants Council and chairman of last night's meeting, said at the conclusion of the meeting that Holden Green residents are still trying to deal in good faith with the University.

"We do not want this to escalate," he said.

President Bok said yesterday at a press conference that he is investigating the married housing situation and will make sure the tenants get "thoughtful consideration."